Harlan Crow to "Stay Out" of Mayor's Race

Now that the city's worst-kept secret is out in the open as Far North Dallas council member Ron Natinsky expressed his desire to replace Mayor Tom Leppert, we probed millionaire businessman Harlan Crow to get a read on whom he sees as the favorite contender among wealthy, politically connected folks like himself.

"I personally am going to stay out of it," Crow told Unfair Park in an e-mail. And he has no clue who will be supported by the Dallas Citizens Council since he hasn't been a member for a couple years.

Crow, who spent more than $5 million in an unsuccessful attempt to halt construction of a publicly owned hotel and whose family has donated thousands of bucks to various politicos over the years, appears to have soured on local issues for the time being. The Republican's apparently focused instead on the 2012 presidential election. Among the various nameplates of visitors to his offices at old Parkland Hospital are President George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty -- a rumored GOP presidential candidate.